A brief and entertaining history of how the HBO series came to be. Executive Producers and Writers David Benioff and Dan Weiss tell the entertaining and sometimes hard-to-believe journey of how the hugely popular book series are/were made into a smash HBO series. Narrated by Charles Dance, viewers get an insider's look as only the creators could tell.

has it been said which book are they adapting for S4? It must be what wasn't included from Book 3 for S3, but I wonder if it only covers that or part of Book 4 too.

“The myth by no means finds its adequate objectification in the spoken word. The structure of the scenes and the visible imagery reveal a deeper wisdom than the poet himself is able to put into words and concepts” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Fun episode. I counted at least four interrupted sex scenes (willing or unwilling) - some kinda nod to those who criticized this aspect of GoT? Definitely improvement, since nakedness in show started "feeling like carpenter making chairs".

Didn't waste much time in episode. Ending was both creepy and rewarding at the same time, mainly thanks to taking pleasure in removing next person from Arya's death list - sign that scene was written and directed from her perspective I guess.

Arya's story was the best, I liked that she killed those guys so calm, like she was tasting a cake with a knife to see if its done, just enough to send them to hell. she and the hound make a great duo.

I wonder if Sansa's encounter with Ser Dontos (the fool) will have any meaning in the future or it just served to remind her that she has done kind things and its better to move on.

Arya's been my favorite since season 2, slightly a cousin to Tyrion. See, Tyrion was the best season 1 IMO (Ned being close behind), but when they decided to plant the seeds to make the Stark daughter a vengeful (yet smart) bad@$$, I was all onboard. Glad to see it coming to fruition in a well-paced manner.

I'll skip elephant in the room part and instead focus on House Bolton. Shaving has to be one of the creepiest scenes in the series so far. There is a reason why they spent much of the opening with Roose and Ramsay. Their cruelty and menace can be contrasted with that of Joffrey. For one they take it to another level - they would win creep of the year award easily in Westeros. They take pleasure in doing despicable things, but at the same time there is some practicality to it compared to Joffrey.

There is something compelling about this family as weird as it sounds - I'm looking forward to seeing more of them. There is part "you pass sentence, you swing sword" to them compared to Lannisters - Roose didn't hold from butchering Robb Stark, where it was plot of Tywin for the most part. There is very little nobility, when it comes to Houses, so maybe Westeros deserves to have Boltons.

Carcetti is such a bad actor. He acts like he's being controlled by an alien parasite. Also, whatever he's trying to do with his voice needs to stop.

Budget Eric Bana is unconvincing as Dany's love interest.

Jaime's season 3 redemption arc was pointless then? Looks like the writers thought no one was willing to look past him throwing a kid out a window so they cemented his evil with the rape last episode. Which is a weird thing to do to the character because protecting someone from being raped was what caused him to lose a hand.

Jaime's season 3 redemption arc was pointless then? Looks like the writers thought no one was willing to look past him throwing a kid out a window so they cemented his evil with the rape last episode. Which is a weird thing to do to the character because protecting someone from being raped was what caused him to lose a hand.

I looked into this last night, and it turns out the scene is consensual in the book, and the director also intended it to appear consensual in the show.

I just rewatched the scene, and you can tell they tried to make it seem consensual. The way she's gasping etc. We're meant to think that Cersei thinks the location is inappropriate but, in spite of herself, is still into it. The scene ends with Cersei saying "don't" while in closeup she pulls twice at his sleeve, pulling him toward her.

So basically, the director (and editors) dropped the ball on this one, because there is more nonconsent than consent happening there, and it definitely needs to be more clear. They thought a sprinkling of ambiguity would spice things up, but it ended up creating what could be the most misinterpretable scene in the show's history.

Jaime's season 3 redemption arc was pointless then? Looks like the writers thought no one was willing to look past him throwing a kid out a window so they cemented his evil with the rape last episode. Which is a weird thing to do to the character because protecting someone from being raped was what caused him to lose a hand.

I looked into this last night, and it turns out the scene is consensual in the book, and the director also intended it to appear consensual in the show.

I just rewatched the scene, and you can tell they tried to make it seem consensual. The way she's gasping etc. We're meant to think that Cersei thinks the location is inappropriate but, in spite of herself, is still into it. The scene ends with Cersei saying "don't" while in closeup she pulls twice at his sleeve, pulling him toward her.

So basically, the director (and editors) dropped the ball on this one, because there is more nonconsent than consent happening there, and it definitely needs to be more clear. They thought a sprinkling of ambiguity would spice things up, but it ended up creating what could be the most misinterpretable scene in the show's history.

It's the curse of Straw Dogs. It's really hard to filmically convey the difference between rape and implied consent. That said, I don't think they should shy away from it or make excuses for it. Jaime raped her. The show should now deal with the consequences of that action. That's a thousand times more interesting than backpedaling.

I was half-convinced it was going to turn out that his character was secretly an alien from outer space who had just landed a week earlier and took an online course in human behavior, but no, as it turns out, he's just that bad an actor.

Haha, we might be on to something. At least on this show his problem seems to be being an Irishman trying to sound like an American doing a British accent.

I don't think they should shy away from it or make excuses for it. Jaime raped her. The show should now deal with the consequences of that action. That's a thousand times more interesting than backpedaling.

The season's already been written and shot. They can't go back and fix what the director or editors fucked up. I think that event will probably never be acknowledged again.

There is something fake about Littlefinger itself as character, so I don't consider acting of Gillen a issue at all. I would go as far as saying it is one of the best casts in the series. His Batman-like voice is unsettling - it sounds wrong, but it is just right for character.

yeah, littlefinger acting is no biggie. to be honest I've never noticed anything wrong with it myself. I remember complaints here about the actor in The Wire, never understood that either. Perhaps it's a language thing (which would be weird anyway but who knows).

the rape /not rape thing, wasn't even on my mind either. it clearly was a gray situation, where the action was wrong and they both knew it but went ahead anyway. it's not that hard to portray this ambivalence (the straw dogs reference, case in point) but it's hard to digest it if you expect a clear cut depiction of either acceptance of rejection of raping in a sexual act. no one wants to hear about a sexual act which wasn't 100% something (consensual or not), but this scene depicted that ambivalence.

however, two things. one: how does this affects jamie's redemption or whatever? why would this change anything? more in point: what redemption? he got honorable with his guardian, but that's as far as that went. two: what is raping a woman in this universe? they talk about rape every two episodes, it's been portrayed as a fairly normal thing, a fact of life, something that happens. what would be the supposed consequences for this within this world? the scene seemed to be about liberating a passion both characters had been suppressing for different reasons, finally liberated in the worst setting possible. within the moral rules of this world, incest is worst than raping, and incest besides the deathbed of it's own product is the best portrayal of the character's moral decay.

however, two things. one: how does this affects jamie's redemption or whatever? why would this change anything? more in point: what redemption?

You don't think there was very obvious rehabilitation of his character throughout the 3rd season? His most significant acts in the first two seasons were pretty reprehensible.

Season 1-Throwing a child out of a window.

Season 2-Killing his cousin.

In Season 3 he--Saves a woman from rape-reveals that the act he is most despised for was his most heroic and saved thousands of people from being burned to death-goes back to rescue the woman he previously saved and fights a bear one-handed out of pure altruism

two: what is raping a woman in this universe? they talk about rape every two episodes, it's been portrayed as a fairly normal thing, a fact of life, something that happens.

The rape talk started only after a world war erupted, and real world history teaches us how common rape is in those times. I don't recall any mention of rape in season 1. In this very episode it is conspicuously noted that the Wall is populated mostly by murderers, rapers and thieves. Also, the Targaryens freely participated in incest but the king's right of the first night is still banned in Westeros.

I've read the books, and I'm not a big fan of them so I don't care about how the show diverges from them. But the scene in the book is incestuous sex a feet away from the corpse of their incest child, that's really fucked up. Adding a non-consensual component does not add a lot to it. But I agree that it's nothing to get hung up on.

The rape talk started only after a world war erupted, and real world history teaches us how common rape is in those times. I don't recall any mention of rape in season 1.

when the Dothraki took some village Dany saves the women from being taken/raped by them, she has a big confrontation with some Dothraki that challenges Drogo, that wound eventually kills him, also the witch tells Dany that she was already raped three times before she "saved" her.

about Jamie raping Cersei, I think he just reached a point where he couldn't take anymore shit from his family and acted like the Jamie of season 1, since he came back to Kingslanding he's been mocked by Joffrey, ignored by Cersei and relegated by his father, so maybe he just did that to show Cersei she doesn't dictate their relationship and that he couldn't take anymore shit from her.